Riding to get easier in Ridgefield

Robert Miller

Published 1:35 pm, Saturday, April 6, 2013

RIDGEFIELD -- In a country where the car is king, the person without wheels gets left behind.

"People get isolated in their own homes," Dr. Margaret Thompson said Wednesday. "That leads to depression."

A new nonprofit organization -- Rides for Ridgefield -- hopes to get the unvehicled where they need to go, whether it's shopping, work, or a doctor's appointment. All the organization needs now is a corps of volunteers with some spare time and a working auto.

Barron and Thompson, a registered nurse and health-care consultant, began discussing the need for better transportation in town two years ago.

After surveying town residents and the transportation available, the working group decided to create Rides for Ridgefield.

"It doesn't cover all that people need," Thompson said of the town's existing transportation.

Rides available include a daily SweetHART bus, run by the Housatonic Area Regional Transit. The buses take people to different locations in town every day and make a weekly run to Danbury to take people to medical appointments. In addition, various town groups run ride programs, including the VNA.

Thompson said it's not only the elderly who need transportation. People with disabilities and accident victims with medical emergencies also need rides.

"What if you're younger and you break your leg?" she said. "What if you need dialysis three times a week? That can be an awful strain on a family."

Rides for Ridgefield is set to begin May 1.

It will function first as a coordinating center, operating out of Founders Hall, the town's senior center. People can call there and a volunteer will discuss the different options available to get to and from a destination.

By midyear, Rides for Ridgefield hopes to have a corps of volunteer drivers to fill the town's service gaps. Then people can call Founders Hall to arrange a ride.

The group must also create a board of directors.

Organizers say they're looking for board volunteers with expertise in several fields, including fundraising, information technology, accounting and marketing.

For information about volunteering, call Founders Hall at 203-431-7000, or email RidesforRidgefield@RidgefieldCT.org.